BMW i3, the Wii Mii replacement
Discussion
Sorry Hoofty, only just seen this. I haven't checked the actual amount going in for charge although I do understand there is a difference through losses. I tend to slow charge quite a lot for the batteries sake but I have read this can have more losses. I'd have thought that quick charging would have been worse with extra heat generated etc.
I reset the whole car before driving off the dealers forecourt in February. I have done just under 5k miles and the car is showing 5.3m/kWh average for that whole time/distance. If for example that gave a real world 4.5 m/kWh then that would still be a lot better than many others are experiencing in other makes.
Currently, there isn't another EV I'd change this for!
I reset the whole car before driving off the dealers forecourt in February. I have done just under 5k miles and the car is showing 5.3m/kWh average for that whole time/distance. If for example that gave a real world 4.5 m/kWh then that would still be a lot better than many others are experiencing in other makes.
Currently, there isn't another EV I'd change this for!
Cracking stats Nick!
I do like the R5/Alpine offerings but only time will tell if they can offer as good a balance between fun & efficiency. I suspect, that like the Mini Cooper SE that's just come out they will be pretty good to drive but not offer much above the i3. The Mini with the bigger (49kw) battery weighs in at 1660kgs! Or, to put it another way, 400kgs more than the i3. For reference, my 26 year old V8 5 series Alpina isn't much heavier than the latest Mini.
We need a proper i3 replacement, built with clever and lightweight engineering not out of old Iron Brew tins!
Cheers,
KennyP
I do like the R5/Alpine offerings but only time will tell if they can offer as good a balance between fun & efficiency. I suspect, that like the Mini Cooper SE that's just come out they will be pretty good to drive but not offer much above the i3. The Mini with the bigger (49kw) battery weighs in at 1660kgs! Or, to put it another way, 400kgs more than the i3. For reference, my 26 year old V8 5 series Alpina isn't much heavier than the latest Mini.
We need a proper i3 replacement, built with clever and lightweight engineering not out of old Iron Brew tins!
Cheers,
KennyP
survivalist said:
Weight is less of an issue for EVs compare to ICE and while the i3 was an interesting experiment the light(er) weight didn’t make it massively efficient or fun to drive. It’s a relatively tall town car, not a Lotus Elise.
Sitting lower and more steering feel would have made a much bigger difference to the drive than losing a few kilos.
Hopefully the manufacturers trying to develop fun to drive EVs understand this.
Sorry, don't agree. Over the last 15k miles I have proven that a lightweight EV is what is necessary. It is more efficient due to its lighter weight. It is also less damaging to roads, less likely to wear out tyres etc as quickly and so on. BMW should have created a lower/sportier version of it no doubt but we have to remember how far ahead of the crowd they were. As it stands, an i3 is jolly good at what it does, there is a certain amount of fun to be had from it and especially so when compared to similar family types cars rather than an Elise which is a different demographic altogether.Sitting lower and more steering feel would have made a much bigger difference to the drive than losing a few kilos.
Hopefully the manufacturers trying to develop fun to drive EVs understand this.
This i3 replaced an electric Mii that also proved efficient over 10k. miles of driving due to again low weight. If they can't/won't make batteries lighter, then make the rest of the thing out of better materials and pull the efficiency back that way, christ, BMW were able to do that 13 years ago but a 3 door Mini is 1/2 metric ton heavier. Where is the progress?
Fair play if you are getting that out of the much heavier 4, my brain can't help thinking , if they'd made it out of i3 suff, what could it really manage?
Anyhoo, with the weather here getting a bit Scottish I'd expected the car's m/kWh to have started dropping but it's still showing 5.3m/kWh. I'll take that but fully expect it to drop now I've written this.....
I'm starting to look for all season rubber to replace the crappy cracking Bridgestone's that are getting near the end. No cheap mind.
Anyhoo, with the weather here getting a bit Scottish I'd expected the car's m/kWh to have started dropping but it's still showing 5.3m/kWh. I'll take that but fully expect it to drop now I've written this.....
I'm starting to look for all season rubber to replace the crappy cracking Bridgestone's that are getting near the end. No cheap mind.
Its always interesting to note how much owners seem to like their i3's. It's also telling how so many will not remain within the BMW service network (like myself) for various reasons. I'm currently in touch with the motoring ombudsman ( I had to wait 6 months for them to finally get back to me!) about my BMW AUC purchase and the shenanigans that occurred.
I'd like to try an 'S', but this one will stay for the foreseeable as I am just knocking on the door of 28k miles. I would also like to try an i8, but they do seem able to throw some bills occasionally!
I'd like to try an 'S', but this one will stay for the foreseeable as I am just knocking on the door of 28k miles. I would also like to try an i8, but they do seem able to throw some bills occasionally!
I've got the light coloured loft interior in mine and agree about the stoning, I've already vet vac'd mine a few times.
Zero Fuchs, you sound like me! They are an absolute shower of, somewhat conveniently, I dislike all of their current products although when I did enquire about a 5 series touring at my local stealer, the salesman told me all about BMW's V6 engines.......
I did try to (politely) correct him re the V but he was having none of it....I left.
Anyhoo, the i3 is a great wee thing!
Zero Fuchs, you sound like me! They are an absolute shower of, somewhat conveniently, I dislike all of their current products although when I did enquire about a 5 series touring at my local stealer, the salesman told me all about BMW's V6 engines.......
I did try to (politely) correct him re the V but he was having none of it....I left.Anyhoo, the i3 is a great wee thing!
Sycamore said:
5.X kWh is good going!
It'll need new tyres soon enough, but I always get confused when it comes to i3 tyres. People changing sizes etc. Prices seem to be all over the place
Just gone through the tyre faff this week. I wanted all seasons but I have a staggered set of wheels with 155 fronts and 175 rears. AS (or winters) are only available in 155 size, so if you are doing it correctly then you need to replace the rear wheels too for 5J width, or have a full set of one and set of the other. Even 2nd hand prices are a bit crap, so I have gone for a set of Michelin primacy (summer) in the correct staggered fitment.It'll need new tyres soon enough, but I always get confused when it comes to i3 tyres. People changing sizes etc. Prices seem to be all over the place
I'll keep look out for a sensible priced set of the others should something decent appear.
........and it has dropped to 5.2m/kWh
It'll obviously drop further now the weather has become more Scottish. Used the heat pump the other morning which defrosted the windscreen and heated up the cabin quite nicely whilst still plugged in (it also conditions the battery).
The new Michelin e primacy have done a weeks work and are proving much nicer than the Bridgestones although when did new tyres not feel better than old? The t/c intervenes less and small bumps are absorbed better too.
It'll obviously drop further now the weather has become more Scottish. Used the heat pump the other morning which defrosted the windscreen and heated up the cabin quite nicely whilst still plugged in (it also conditions the battery).
The new Michelin e primacy have done a weeks work and are proving much nicer than the Bridgestones although when did new tyres not feel better than old? The t/c intervenes less and small bumps are absorbed better too.
Last week (just for giggles), I thought I might find a local rapid charger just to try it out as I have never tried one. The low temps do really affect how long the battery lasts and it seemed like a sensible experiment. At 70p per Kw the giggles stopped quite quickly and I satisfied myself that 45 miles range left was plenty to get me home for a cheapo charge.
Lots of heater & heated seats on during last weeks freeze has dropped the average to 5.1 m/kWh now so it'll be interesting to see where we end up after winter. I'm guessing around the 4.5 mark, we shall see!
The Michelin e primacy are proving themselves very agreeable, slush and standing water was nicely dealt with last week too.
Cheers
Lots of heater & heated seats on during last weeks freeze has dropped the average to 5.1 m/kWh now so it'll be interesting to see where we end up after winter. I'm guessing around the 4.5 mark, we shall see!
The Michelin e primacy are proving themselves very agreeable, slush and standing water was nicely dealt with last week too.
Cheers
Ah, all ye doubting Thomases! For the sake of full disclosure, mine tends to just go round the doors within 20/30/40 mph limits so it's always getting some sort of frequent regen. I've no doubt that if I was on more open stuff more frequently that figure would drop, it's either that or the thing is telling me porky pies!
I did actually manage to give it some beans and reach several leptons a few weeks back and even got a few slithers on during the frosty weather. It would be interesting if all the systems could be properly disabled to see what angle the super duper steering lock could bring it back from...
Ben, I did notice those settings on the drive, mine came from the stealer on max so I have left it there.
I did actually manage to give it some beans and reach several leptons a few weeks back and even got a few slithers on during the frosty weather. It would be interesting if all the systems could be properly disabled to see what angle the super duper steering lock could bring it back from...
Ben, I did notice those settings on the drive, mine came from the stealer on max so I have left it there.
[quote=M1C]The OP in this case is very much an EV Whisperer (no hate from me!)
I used to marvel at the figures he got from his Mii, and now the i3.
A EV whisperer? Wasat then?
Hooligan No.2 has the old Wii Mii, I haven't driven it since Feb when I moved to this. I moved the Mii around on the drive a week or two back and was amazed even he was still showing a high 5's average out of it. I reckon the i3 will drop to mid 4's or thereabouts over the coming cold months but it does seem to get more range overall than the Mii can.
This all balances out when the petrol stuff gets used and gives high teens/low 20's. Tempted to try a 125 mile return journey at the weekend in the i3 without any stopping to charge, if it stays mild I reckon we will be fine, if it drops into the minus C, hydrocarbons will be burned!
I used to marvel at the figures he got from his Mii, and now the i3.
A EV whisperer? Wasat then?
Hooligan No.2 has the old Wii Mii, I haven't driven it since Feb when I moved to this. I moved the Mii around on the drive a week or two back and was amazed even he was still showing a high 5's average out of it. I reckon the i3 will drop to mid 4's or thereabouts over the coming cold months but it does seem to get more range overall than the Mii can.
This all balances out when the petrol stuff gets used and gives high teens/low 20's. Tempted to try a 125 mile return journey at the weekend in the i3 without any stopping to charge, if it stays mild I reckon we will be fine, if it drops into the minus C, hydrocarbons will be burned!
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